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Bayern Munich defeats Pafos 5-1 as Kim Min-jae returns to action

Published: 01 Oct. 2025, 11:12 Updated: 01 Oct. 2025, 21:18

Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae in action during a Champions League match against Pafos in Limassol, Cyprus on Sept. 30. [EPA/YONHAP]

Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae featured for the full 90 minutes in a 5-1 win over Pafos in the Champions League on Tuesday, returning to action ahead of the October international break.

Kim was back on the pitch after being sidelined due to the injury he suffered in a Bundesliga match against Hoffenheim on Sept. 20.

The Korean center-back saw his team thrash Pafos at Alphamega Stadium in Cyprus, with Bayern’s attack proving relentless. Harry Kane scored a double for the second Champions League match in a row, while Raphael Guerreiro, Nicolas Jackson and Michael Olise all scored one goal each.

Kane struck first in the 15th minute, with Guerreiro doubling it and Jackson adding goal No. 3. Kane came back again in the 34th minute, before Mislav Orsic pulled one back in the 45th minute.

Olise scored goal No. 5 to wrap up the game, handing Bayern their second successive victory in the 2025-26 Champions League league phase.

Kane has now scored four goals in two Champions League appearances this season, trailing only one goal behind Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe.

Bayern now sits atop the 36-team league phase table with six points, having also beaten Chelsea 3-1 at home on Sept. 17.

In the revamped format, 36 teams compete in a single table, playing eight matches against opponents drawn from four pots based on UEFA club coefficients. The top eight teams advance directly to the round of 16. Teams ranked ninth through 24th enter a playoff to determine the remaining eight spots. Those below the 24th spot crash out of the tournament.

Bayern will play their last fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday before the October break, during which a host of Bayern players, including Kim, will have national duty.

The Korean national team will play a friendly against Brazil on Oct. 10 and another against Paraguay on Oct. 14, both at home.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PIH JU-YOUNG [[email protected]]